Car-brake.



No} 714,236. Patented Nov. 25, I902.

E. PUSSUN.

CAB BRAKE.

\ (Appliuntiomfiled June 17. 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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w M a 2 a e m Z m I m a 4 g. R MM w m ilxyPlllft 6 m a @M E POSSUM CAR BRAKE dApphcatmn filed June 17 1902 TH! NQRRIS PETERS CD PNOTO'L THO WASHNGTNM D C No. 7|4 ,2ss.

(No Model.)

Patented Novf 25 1902.

E. POSSON.

CAB BRAKE.

(Application filed June 17, 1902.)

(Ila Model.)

3 Sheets-sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES QPATENT QFFICF.

EDWARD POSSON, OF ST. PAUL,MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALFRED LOVELL, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPEGIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,236, dated November 25, 1902.

Application filad il'une 17, 1902.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARDPossoN, acitizenof the United States, residing atiSt. Paul,

in the county of Ramsey and State of Minne- 5 sota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following. to .be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which w it appertainsto make and use the same.

My present invention relates to air-brake systems, and has for its object to provide an independent hand-brake therefor.

To this end the invention consists of the 5 novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims. I

In the standardair-brake systems now in general use hand-brakes-that is, hand-actu "2o ated connections for setting the brakes of the air-brake systems-are employed; but the arrangement is such that the hand-brake connections serve as a base of reaction for the air-brake connections, and vice versa. From '2 5 this arrangement many bad results follow. For instance, suppose both the air-brake and hand-brake connections to be set and the train to be starting down a long grade. It will frequentlyhappen that leakage from the 30 air-brake cylinder will cause the air-brake connections to release their tension, and when. this takes place it of course follows that the brake-shoes will be released, since they are not independently held by the hand-brake 3 5 connections. Again, the release of the brakes by leakage from the brake-motor will. permit a train left standing on a grade to run away. Many serious accidents have resulted from [this cause. Again, the releasing of the air- 4o brake connections will always release the hand-brake connections, and vice versa.

l shortythisinterdependence of action between the air-brakes and the handbrake devices in many ways tends to render the brakingsys 45. tom unreliable and under many. conditions ineffective.

. In accordance with my invention I provide hand brake connectionswhich do not serve as a base ofreaction for the'levers or connections 50 of the air-brake system and. which may be operatedindependently thereof. More specificparts being broken away.

serial No. 112,042. (No model.)

ally stated, in view of my improved arrangement the brakes may be set either from the brake-motors or from the hand-brake connecfrom both, and the releasing of the tension either from said motor or from said handbrakes will not in itself release the brakes, but will leave the same set under tension from the power device which is not to be released.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsgvherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a skeleton View, principally in perspective and partlyin side elevation,showing the air-brakes and the independent hand- .brake connections incorporated into the sys .tem. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the improved brake connections applied to a car, Fig. 3 is a detail in section, taken approximately on the line 00 r of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line x m of Figs. 3 and 6. Fig. 5 is a detail with parts broken away, showing one of the trucklever connecting-links and supporting-guide therefor; and Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a portionof the brake connections, the position of the car-body being indicated by dotted lines.

The numeral 1 indicates the car-body, and the numeral 2 the car-trucks, having wheels 3.

The'numeral 4 indicates the air-brake motor, supported, as usual, from the car-body 1.

The numeral 5 indicates the brake-shoes carried by the brake-beams 6, which brakebeams aresupported in the ordinary or any suitable way by hangers 7 ,pivotally depending from the truck-frames 2.

The following elements, which afiord connections between the brake-motor ,4 and the brake-beamso, are of standard or ordinary construction, and hencethe following brief description thereof will sufiice for thepurposes of this case.

The numeral 8 indicates thecylinder-levers, connected by cylinder-lever rods 9.

The numeral 10 indicates the air brake floatinglevers, connected tosaid levers 8 by rods 11.

12 indicates fulcrum-levers pivoted to a fulcrum-bracket13 and connected to the floating levers 10 by connecting-rods 14.

indicates the truck-levers,which are connected to the fulcrum-levers 12 by rods 16 and to the inner brake-beams 6 by links 17.

The numeral 18 indicates the equalizinglevers, connected to the truck-levers 15 by a sliding link 19, which link is supported by a slotted supporting-bracket 20 and a rollerequipped hanger 21, the latter of which is shown in Fig. 5 and both of which are supported by the same truck-frame 2.

22 and 23 indicate lever-supporting brackets, which, as Well as the fulcrum-bracket 18, are supported from the bottom of the carbody. 7

The numeral 24 indicates the hand-brake connecting-rods, which at their outer ends are provided with stops 25 and work freely through the stop-brackets 26, rigidly secured on the car-body l in the ordinary way.

The numeral 27 indicates a hand-wheel and staff connected to the outerend of the adja cent rod 24 by a chain 28.

If the inner ends of the hand-brake connecting-rods 24 were to be connected to the ends of the air-brake floatinglevers 10, the ordinary standard construction would be thereby provided. However, in carrying out my invention a very different arrangementis provided, which in its preferred application is as follows: The ends of the said air-brake floating levers 10 are fulcrumed in a fulcrumbracket 29, which is rigidly secured to the bottom of the car-body 1. The free ends of the levers 10 are provided with depending studs 30, which work in the slots 31 of the said fulcrum-bracket 29, and the said bracket is bifurcated, as best shown in Fig. 4, to afford a longitudinal slot in which the free end of the lever 10 freely slides. The obvious purpose of the fulcrum-bracket 29 is to permit the brakemotor to release while the brakes are set by the hand-brake devices. When the fulcrum pin or stud 30 strikes the inner extremity of the slot 31 of said bracket 29, it affords a fulcrum and the bracket 29 a base of reaction for the lever 10.

The inner ends of the hand-brake connecting-rods 24 are connected to the free ends of the hand-brake floating levers 32, the other ends of which are shown as pivotally connected to the inner ends of the same connecting-rods 14 to which the levers 10 of the airbrake are connected. The two hand-brake floating levers 32 are connected by a long connecting-rod 33.

The action of the brake mechanism above described is as follows: Under the action of the air-brake motors 4 the brakes may be set in the ordinary way, except that the floating levers 10 instead of finding their base of reaction through the hand-brake connections react directly against the fulcrum-brackets 29. It is evident that when the brakes are thus set from the motor they do not set the hand-brake connections or put the same under strain. It is also evident that the brakes may be set from the brake-motor regardless I of whether or not the hand-brake connections are tightened and, in fact, may be set even though the hand-brake connections should be out of repair or even entirely removed. It is also evident that when one of the handbrake connecting-rods 24 is drawn outward by the hand-wheel and stafi 27 turned so as to wind up the chains 28 the hand-brake floating levers 32 will be put under strain (the connecting-rod 33 serving as a fulcrum for both of the same) and through the socalled air-brake connections, beginning with the connecting-rods 14, the brakes will be set in the same manner as when the brakemotor is actuated. The brakes may be set from the hand-operated power device or con nection at either end of the car, and it will of course be understood that all of the brakes of the car are thrown into action by the manipulation of a single power device. It is further evident that even though the brakes are set from the brake-motor under a strain much greater than that which can be applied to the same by the hand-power devices or brake connections still additional pressure may be applied to the brakes by tightening up one or both of the hand-brake devices. This is not the case in prior systems, wherein the hand-brake connections afford a base of reaction for the air-brake connections. It is further evident that should the brakes be applied by power exerted both by the brakemotor and by the hand-power devicesand the one thereof be released the other will re main active to hold the brake set. Hence it of course follows that if going down a long grade or standing on a grade, the brake should be set both by the hand-motor and the handpower devices, the hand-power devices will hold the brake set, even though the air should leak from the brake-motor, so as to render the said motor inefficient. In running long mountain-grades this is very important, as it frequently happens that the auxiliary cylinders must be recharged from the main reservoir before the bottom of the grade is reached.

In order to reset the air-brakes and in order to accomplish this recharging of the auxil iary reservoirs, it has hitherto been necessary to release the brakes.

It will of course be understood that the brake mechanism above described is capable of many modifications within the scope of my invention. Hence it may of course be incorporated in brake mechanism for four-wheeled trucks, as Well as for six-wheeled trucks.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In an air-brake system, the combination with a brake-motor having connections for actuating the brake-shoes, of hand-actuated brake connections extending from the opposite ends of the car involving a pair of levers forming no part of the connections between said motor and the brake-shoes, but attached to said air-brake connections on the opposite sides of the cylinder-lever and ICO operating thereon to set the brakes independently of the said motor, and a rod connecting said two levers and rendering the same simultaneously operative, substantially as described.

2. .In an air-brake system, the combination with a brake-motor having connections for actuating the brake-shoes involving a pair of fnlcrumed levers, of an independent handbrake connection involvinga pair of floating levers and pivotally connected on the opposite sides of the cylinder-levers to the same parts to which said fulcrumed levers are pivoted,a connecting-rod extending between said two floating levers, and hand-power'devices at the opposite ends of the car connected one to each of said floating levers, said parts operating substantially as described.

3. In an air-brake system, the combination with a brake-motor having connections to the brake-shoes involving the fulcrumed levers 10, of the fulcrum-brackets 29 to which said levers 10 are fnlcrumed with freedom for sliding movements in the brake-releasing action, of hand-brake connections involvinga pair of floating levers connected to the intermediate elements of the air-brake connections, connecting-rod extending between said floating levers, and hand-power devices at the opposite ends of the car connected one to each of said floating levers, said parts operating 

